Incorrect-position indicator for pianos



L. L. TlFFANY.

INCORRECT POSITION INDICATOR FOR PIANQS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21, 1920.

1,343,595. Patented June 15,1920.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

| l I 21 L I' RHILHHHU v 11 10 M 15M i yi Hi E E M L. L. TIFFANY.

INCORRECT POSITION INDICATOR FOR PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 21. 1920.

1,343,595, Patented June 15, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Louis L. TIFFANY, or ROSLINDALE, MAssAoHUsE'rrs, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF T0 PATENT orF'lcE.

TIMOTHYMCGOLDRICK, OF LINCOLN, NEW HAMPSHIRE. 1

mconnncr-rosrrroiv rnnrcnron. For. :PIANos. I

To all whom it may concern: c

Be it known that I, LOUIS L. .TIFFAN-Y, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Roslindale, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Incorrect-Position Indicators for Pianos, of which the'following is a specification, refers ence being'had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to'means for indicating to a player when the arm and wrist of the player are in incorrect position. f

With beginners on the piano, the-wrist is weak and will naturally drop down on the keyboard, and should the pupil be allowed to do. this for a whilewithout correction,

then in a very short time the wrist will form this habit of dropping down, and it'i's 3 front of the piano showing very difficult to train the pupil to bring the wrist back to the right position again, and;

a device 'which will tend to prevent the acquirement of this habitfby causing the sounding of a signal whenever the pupil allows the wrists to drop downward lower than the correct position; Y

A further object is to provide a device of this character which includes a longitudi-' nally extending member operatively connected to asignakwhich member, when depressed by. the depression of the wrist beyond a predetermined poi-nt,will actuate the signal, thus warning the pupil of his error.

' A further object is to provide a device of this character by which an electrically actuated'signal may beenergized, this signal being either visual, audible, or both.

' Andanother object is to provide a device of this character which may be readilyattached to any piano without being par ticularlyobtrusive when turned outof the way, and which may be. swung from an operative to an inoperative position.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention 'isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of a piano in Fig. 5

Specification of Letters Patent. t nt June 15*, Application filed rebruar '21, 1920. serial No. 360,366.. i

having asignaling attachment thereon constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the piano shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3' is a fragmentary'vertical section I piano showlng shown in; Fig. 3, the membersl? and'18 A being partly in section;

V Fig. 5 'is a'perspective view of the pivotal end of one of the arms 12;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the knuckles 11 coacting with the arm shown Fi is a perspective view of the spring wh1c urges the'knuckle and corresponding arm 1nto engagement with each other;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevation of the V a diiferentmanner of arranging the signal.

Referring to these drawings, itwill be seen that my attachment comprises the oppositely disposed brackets 10, which arein tended to be disposed beneath the keyboard of a piano andout of theway, and which are provided with lugs 11 constituting knuckles; These lugs 11 extend at right angles to the plane of the brackets 10 and are" "disposed, therefore, in vertical planes at right angles'to the front of the piano.

Pivotally connected to these lugs are the angular arms 12, each of these arms being of relatively thin but strong metal or other suitable material, and each arm is perfo of a dished spring or resilientwasherl lidisposedbetween the inner head of'the rivet or other pivotal-member and theface of the knuckle. Each knuckle is formed at nearly diametrical points with openings '15, and the corresponding arm is formed with a resilient tongue 16 constituting a pawl which is adapted to engage in either one of these recesses or perforations 15. Thus, when the arms are turned to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the pawls 16 will engage in one pair of the perforations 15 to hold the arms in their upwardly disposed position, while when the arms are swung down to the dotted line position, the tongues or pawls will engage in the other set of perforations and the device will be held in slotted, or only one of them may be slotted,

and the nut and bolt 20 might be carried on either one of these parts. The upwardly extending portion 17 of one of the brackets 12 may be formed to provide oppositely disposed clamping jaws 21, resilient in character, and adapted to support a small dry battery 22 and flash lamp of the usual type, the light in this lamp being projected through the lens 23.

Supported. by the upper ends of the members 19 are two approximately parallel, transversely extending coiled springs or like elements 2 1 and 2 1 these elements being electrically conductive, and at their ends passing through the members 19 but being insulated therefrom, as-by the insulating strips 25. ires 26 and 27 lead from these springs 24 tothe battery 22 and the opposite ends of the springs 24; are to be con nected in circuit with each other. Normally the circuit through the battery is brol cn by the separation of the springs 21 from each other, but when the upper spring or transverse member 24: is depressed against the lower spring or transversemember 2-1, the i circuit will be completed through the dry battery 22 and as a COUSQQHORCG the lamp within the fin sh light will be energizer and this flashing of the lamp will indicate to the player that the wrists or f( .earms have been depressed too much.

Of course, it is to be UINlGI'SlZUOtl that the member 19 is tobe adjusted properly to such a height that the uppermost spring 24: will be so disposed as to touch. the forearms or wrists of the player when the arm depressed unduly, but that the wristor forearm'will not touch or depress this member 24 unless the forearm is'depressed unduly.

While I have illustrated in Fig. a small flash light carried as a unit with a dry battery, I do not-wish to be limited to this, as the flash light (as shown in Fig. 8) might be mounted in any other desired position and connected by wires to a battery, or, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the two springs 24taiid 24-. might be connected at one end in circuit with an electrically actuated signal. bell 28, or other audible signal, in turn connected in circuit with one or two battery cells 29 and with the other spring, and as illustrated in Fig. 1, the flash light 22 may be disposed at one end of the piano and. the signal bell at the other end of the piano so that both an audible and a visual signal will be given, the audible signal being suilicient for the teacher, who may be engaged in other work, while the visual. signal will be sufficient for the pupil. A constant repetition of the audible signal would warn the teacher that the pupil was having trouble, which would not be obvious to the teacher necessarily from the flashing of the light, or the bell. might be mounted in another room from that in which the pupil was practising.

I do not wish to be limited to the use of any particular kind of signal, nor to the use in combination of a visual or an audible signal, nor do I wish to be limited to the details of construction andarrangement of parts which I luive specifically illustrated, as it is obvious that many changes might be made within the scope of, the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention. H

The operation of the device will be obvious from what has gone before. Vhen it is desired to use the device, the arms 12 are turned up to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the supporting member 19 being so adjusted as to properly position the uppermost element 24 with relation to the keys of the piano. Now, as before stated, if the pupil depresses the forearm or. wrist to too great an extent, the spring wire 24; will be expanded and depressed and will. come in contact with the wire 24 or other contact, and as a consequence an electric circuit willbe completed through the signal of whatever kind is used, thus warning the pupil, and, if necessary, warning theteacher of the error. Immediately upon. the lifting of the piipils wrists to the proper position,

, this circuit will be broken and the signal will'cease. IVhen it is not desired to use this tell-tale, it may be readily disposed beneath the piano by simply forcing the arms laterally against the action of the dishshaped spring 14, and. the arms may then be rotated until the latching pawls 16 engage in the lowermost notches, when the parts will be supported in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, thus placing the device entirely out of the way and permitting the use of the piano in the ordinary manner.

It will be obvious that the springs 24; and 24. may be made of very light wire and that the whole device may be made relatively light, as there is but very little strain on the various parts.

It will also be obvious that the springs 24 and 24%", inasmuch as theyurge the arm each other, in other words, to some extent take the place of the dished spring 14. Hence I do not wish to be limitedto the use of this dished spring.

Vhile ;I have heretofore referred to the fact that this device is intended to .be used with a piano, it will be understood that it also might be used for an organ or with any other keyed musical instrument oflike character.

I claim g 1 1. A signaling device of the character described for pianos comprising a plurality of arms attachable to the under side of the keyboard of a piano, the arms having upwardly extending portions normally disposed in front of the keyboard, electrically conductive elements carried by said arms and ex" tending across the front of the keyboard slightly above the keys and normally out of engagement with each other but adapted to be moved into contact with each other by the depression of a players wrists, and a signal actuated by engagement of said elements with each other upon said depression.

2. A signaling device of the character described for pianos including a pair of electrically conductive elements mounted across the front of a piano in front of thekeys thereof, one of said elements being slightly above the keys, said elements being normally out of electrical engagement with each other, and an electrical signal and source of energy in circuit with said elements, a depression of the wrists of the player causing said elementsto move into contact with. each other and close the circuit through said signal.

, 3. An attachment of the character described comprising brackets adapted to be attached to the under side of a piano keyboard, angular arms pivoted to said brackets for movement into a depressed position or a raised position, said arms havingangular portions adapted, when the arms are raised, to extend vertically upward in front of the keyboard, electrically conductive, elastic elements carried by said arms and extending between said arms and normally out of contact with each other and a source of energy, and a signal electrically connected to said elements whereby when said elements are forced into contact with each,

other a circuit will be closed through the signal and source of energy. i

4. A signaling device of the character described for pianos comprising brackets adapted to be attached to the under side of the keyboard of a piano and having vknuckles, angular arms loosely pivoted to the knuckles, springs forcing the arms against the knuckles, each arm and corresponding knuckle having, one 'a plurality of recesses and the other a resilient pawl adapted to engage lIlSt1d recesses to latch the arms in their raised or lowered positions, coiled contractile springs of conductive material carried by the said arms and extending transversely across the piano slightly above the keys thereof, and anelectrically actuated signal connected in a circuit with a source of energy and said springs, whereby 'when said, springs are forced into engagement with each other a circuit will becompleted through the signal.

5. A signaling device of the character de scribed for pianos comprising a pair of brackets adapted to be mounted beneath the keyboard of the piano and having perforated knuckles, angular arms engaging said knuckles, pivot members passing through the knuckles and arms and engaging them with each other, means for holding the arms ina raised or depressed position on the knuckles, a member adjustable on the anknuckles, pivot members passing through the knuckles and arms and engaging them with each other, means for holding the arms in a raised or depressed position on the knuckles, one of said arms being formed with a receptacle, a battery and signal carried by said receptacle, transversely extending, coiled contractile springs operatively carried by but insulated from said arms and extending transversely between the arms and connected in a normally open circuit with said battery and signal, whereby when one of said springs is forced into engagement with the other a circuit will be completed between'the battery and signal. 7

7. The combination with a piano. having a keyboard, of means for indicating the cor rect position of the wrists of a player comprising members extending horizontally across the piano in spaced relation to each other, one of said members being disposed slightly above the keyboard, said members being adapted to be forced into engagement with each other by an unduedepression of and normally disposed slightly above the keyboard of the piano and in front thereof, and a signal operatively connected to said yieldable members and adapted to be actuated when the members are forced into engagement with each other by the undue vibration of the Wrists of a player.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

LOUIS L. TIFFANY. 

